Voices That Inspire

A Fellowship to Support Young Women Dedicated to Making a Positive Impact

Now, more than ever, young women and girls are needed to solve the world’s most pressing problems. Whether it is equality in the workplace or improved healthcare, young voices are necessary to challenge the status quo. Throughout history, we have seen the power that youth activists can have in advocating for social justice and guiding political and civic engagement in their communities. No matter what the topic, young people are on the front lines of social change that ultimately lead to sweeping social movements.

According to the World Economic Forum, in 2017, the Latin America and Caribbean region had an average remaining gender gap of 29.8%. This puts the region in the middle of the range of the Global Gender Gap Index behind the Eastern Europe region and Central Asia region. Research has shown that in order to close the gender gap, more women leaders are necessary to foster laws and policies that promote women’s rights.

With the support of P&G, Vital Voices is launching a signature fellowship, Voices that Inspire (Voces Que Inspiran), to support young women who are dedicated to making a positive impact in Argentina, Brazil, Guatemala, Mexico and Panama. We aim to increase the opportunity, leadership capacity, network and funding resources to unleash the leadership potential of young women around the world; sparking a global movement to empower young women, create sustainable change, and transform the meaning of leadership.

Through the program, we will conduct a 4-day, in-person leadership training to provide financial and strategic planning, communications training, and networking opportunities as well as work directly with participants to create sustainable, locally-driven projects that positively affect their communities. All participants will also be matched with a local woman leader in the Vital Voices Network who will act as a professional mentor and guide throughout the grant project. Research shows that there is a significant economic advantage to mentorship when starting a new endeavor or business, which in turn, increases the longevity of the business. In partnership with P&G, we are honored to provide these opportunities and tools to ensure that young women are leading sustainable social change in Latin America and the Caribbean and beyond.

All applicants must be 18 to 22 years old when they apply, and all participants chosen will attend a 4-day, in-person training in Argentina from May 14-17, 2019. Following the in-person training, all participants will be eligible to apply for individual grants to lead social impact projects in their communities.

The Application for the 2019 Fellowship are live in English, Spanish and Portuguese, available here: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4501801/Rising-Voices